You probably already have microplastics in your brain, study finds

A new study from the University of New Mexico has found that plastic particles are infiltrating human brains, raising concerns about health implications.

The findings, detailed in a paper recently published in Environmental Health Perspectives, show that the tiny pollutants are breaching human biological barriers and accumulating in organs such as the kidneys, liver and the brain.

“Over the past few decades, microplastics have been found in the ocean, in animals and plants, in tap water and bottled water,” said Eliseo Castillo, an associate professor in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology in the University of New Mexico School of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine, according to the New York Post.

“They appear to be everywhere,” said Mr. Castillo, who is the leading microplastic researcher at UNM.

The groundbreaking research was led by Mr. Castillo and his team at the university. Over a monthlong study, mice were given water laced with a quantity of microplastics equivalent to what humans reportedly consume on a weekly basis. This amount, according to prior studies, is approximately the weight of a credit card, or five grams.

Results revealed the alarming tendency of microplastics to migrate from the gastrointestinal tract to other vital tissues in the body. Notably, findings indicated physical changes in the mice after mere weeks of exposure to these plastics.

“These mice were exposed for four weeks. Now, think about how that equates to humans if we’re exposed from birth to old age,” Mr. Castillo said.

Given the duration and intensity with which humans are exposed to microplastics over their lifetimes, Castillo pointed to long-term health effects.

“Now, imagine if someone has an underlying condition and these changes occur. Could microplastic exposure exacerbate an underlying condition?” he said.